Non-teaching space funding

Learn how the programme works, and how non-teaching space funding can be spent.

Level of compliance Main audience Other

Inform

  • Boards
  • Proprietors
  • Principals and Tumuaki
  • Administrators 

If a school receives non-teaching space funding (NTS) funding, there are certain conditions of funding detailed below.

The NTS Funding programme provides funding for non-teaching areas when your school has less space than it is entitled to. This funding is not automatic – it goes to schools with the greatest need. 

Key information about non-teaching space funding

What NTS funding is

NTS funding is a selective programme that provides financial support to schools with less space than entitled to.

What it is for

The funding is for discretionary use towards non-teaching spaces. There are certain conditions, detailed within this guidance.

The budget

If your school qualifies for NTS funding and makes it onto the programme we’ll notify you and provide you with a budget.

Non-teaching areas can include:

  • administration areas
  • libraries
  • resource areas
  • staffrooms.

How the programme works

The NTS funding programme ranks schools to determine which ones have the greatest need for non-teaching space.

This means there is no guarantee that you will receive funding.

The amount of funding available in any given year will depend on government priorities.

To identify the greatest need we rank schools as follows.

  1. Schools that have no spare teaching space and have a projected growing roll.
  2. The percentage deficit of non-teaching space: that is, the amount of deficit of non-teaching space compared to non-teaching space entitlement in percentage terms.

Using percentage deficiency rather than deficiency in square meters is more equitable for schools as it adjusts for the relative size of schools.

Spending NTS funding

You can use your NTS funding to best meet your school’s needs for non-teaching areas. 

Boards must :

  • attain Ministry approval before your NTS project can begin
  • ensure all work meets legislative requirements and Ministry design standards
  • build the amount of new square metres you are funded for
  • ensure all costs are covered in the project budget, including site works and services.

Your school will be removed from the programme and funding withdrawn if the below conditions are not met:

  • a tender report must completed for the NTS project within 12 months of allocation, or the NTS project must be included in your 10YPP within 2 years of receiving funding
  • the project has not been incorporated into an existing roll-growth project within 12 months of allocation.

Returning unspent NTS funding

If you have any unspent project funds from your NTS budget you must return them to the Ministry.

We can then: 

  • accurately record the actual cost of the project in K2
  • credit the project savings to your next capital project.

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